Golden Eagles take on Samaleswari SC in Rourkela today
Rourkela: Dempo SC will look to make it two wins from two when they face Samaleswari SC in their second Indian Football League 2026-27 fixture on Thursday, buoyed by a winning start to their campaign.
The Golden Eagles opened their season with a victory over FC Bengaluru United, dominating possession and creating several opportunities before Uzziel Budu struck the decisive goal in stoppage time.
Head coach Samir Naik was pleased with the result, stressing that securing all three points was the priority. “It was a good goal. It gave us the three points and three points matter the most,” Naik said.
Dempo created numerous chances and remained organised at the back, although Naik believes there is still room for improvement.
“We created so many chances and we had better ball position. Defensively we were organised. We know we could have done better and we know that we will do better,” he said.
Samaleswari, meanwhile, showed resilience in their opening fixture against Gokulam Kerala, recovering from a two-goal deficit to draw level before conceding a late winner.
Naik expects a competitive contest and was unwilling to underestimate the opposition, reiterating that every team in the league deserves respect.
“I have said earlier also that all the teams in the league are equal. They have some good players and everyone has a chance,” he said.
